Two sets of topsides facilities
Soaring gas demand in northern Europe is creating a mini-development spree for Dutch fabricators. HSM Steel Structures recently completed two sets of topsides for Gaz de France (GdF) platforms in the Dutch North Sea under a relatively fast-track schedule. Just prior to delivery, it clinched a new order for a compression module for Paladin Expro’s Wood and Gas Export project in the UK.
HSM - formerly BAM Steel Structures - can comfortably sustain two parallel offshore construction jobs at its yard in Schiedam. Prospects look bright for the year ahead, especially in the Dutch sector, with Gaz de France, Total, and Wintershall (shallow gas project) all inviting bids for production installations.
The completed GdF consignments related to separate programs in Dutch quadrants G and K. First to leave the yard was the 1,900 tonne topsides for the K2b-A wellhead/processing platform, which will export gas to the Dutch grid via a spur into the Noordgaztransport (NGT) trunkline. The K2A field was formerly operated by NAM - a few years back, NAM agonized over developing this and two other fields via identical platforms under a scheme known as Neptunus. HSM put forward a solution, but at that stage, development was deemed uneconomic.
This month, HSM was preparing for sailaway of the 2,400-tonne topsides, 120-tonne bridge and 60-tonne vent stack for the G17d-AP project. Seaway Heavy Lifting’s Stanislav Yudin will perform the installation. When mated to the jacket Heerema built in Vlissingen, these shipments will form a new processing platform that will be bridge-linked to the existing G17cd-A facility.
Both the topsides contracts were awarded last September, with GdF handling procurement of long-lead items. Both are typical Dutch sector minimal platform structures, according to HSM’s marketing manager Koos Krispijn. The company missed out on two other concurrent GdF projects in G quadrant, involving renovating topsides from the decommissioned K11-B and K/2-E platforms for installation on two new jackets. Keppel Verolme and NAMI in Ridderkerk shared this work.
HSM has built two decks for Gaz de France at its yard in Schiedam.
Paladin’s award is an engineering, procurement, and construction contract for the 1,000-tonne wood and gas export compression hang-off module, which will be installed on the Montrose A platform in August 2006. Gas from the Montrose and Arbroath fields was previously flared, but under the new scheme, this and incoming supplies from the Wood satellite (under development) will be harnessed for commercial use.
The module has been designed for a single lift and will feature the following components:
• Wood reception facilities
• Processing equipment, including a new three-stage turbine-driven compressor and associated scrubbers and coolers, a glycol contactor and regeneration system, plus metering and export facilities
• Seawater coarse filters associated with the module’s heat exchangers
•Utilities including import gas heater, fuel gas skid, and a nitrogen generator.
Paladin has already purchased the gas compressor package.
Outside the North Sea, National Oil Company has invited HSM h to bid for three new modules for Agip’s Bouri platform offshore Libya, which will have a total weight of 3,000 tones. If successful, HSM would form a joint venture for this project with an installation contractor.
The company has undergone several changes of ownership over the last few years. Since last November, it has been a member of the RijnDijk group of companies, all involved in steel construction for various industries. HSM provided the missing link, via its expertise in civil (in addition to offshore) engineering.
“It’s been a good move for us,” Krispijn says. “We benefit through interfaces with other companies in the group, which allows us to offer a more cost-effective package involving a wider range of equipment and services. As an example, one of our new sister companies is Escher, which has been making process vessels for 60 years. We can also work with RijnDijk Steel Contracting to supply smaller steel structures.”•
